Suzuki Swift Dzire

shaanstop · August 3, 2011

Brand new Rs.2.7 million

Saw this car in A*W . Would like to know details about this car. does any body own one.. then please share ya experience..

How is the ride ..

any issues

fuel consumption

cheers

Simplelife · August 3, 2011

Let me guess.. u planning to buy this for fun and then use it for racing?

The Don · August 3, 2011

Brand new Rs.2.7 million

Saw this car in A*W . Would like to know details about this car. does any body own one.. then please share ya experience..

How is the ride ..

any issues

fuel consumption

cheers

I assume this is the Indian made Swift ? Well I can only comment on the ride and its a bit bumpier than the Japanese version as it's got the rough road suspension package.

shaanstop · August 3, 2011

Let me guess.. u planning to buy this for fun and then use it for racing?

Ha ha Gud one .. brother.. na im serious bcse its a seden model (INDIAN)

kush · August 3, 2011

Indian swift with a boot, they ruined the beautiful contours of the Swift. People in this part of the worl think that a boot ads status for the car hence all the manufactures now make ugly saloon cars out of good looking hatch backs. Eg: Honda fit Aria, Suzuki Swift Dezire, Ford Forcus, Mazda 2

shaanstop · August 3, 2011

Indian swift with a boot, they ruined the beautiful contours of the Swift. People in this part of the worl think that a boot ads status for the car hence all the manufactures now make ugly saloon cars out of good looking hatch backs. Eg: Honda fit Aria, Suzuki Swift Dezire, Ford Forcus, Mazda 2

We cant change the market rather than just excepting it... i would like to know if any one is using one... thanks fa ya comment

ShintaroX · August 3, 2011

Indian swift with a boot, they ruined the beautiful contours of the Swift. People in this part of the worl think that a boot ads status for the car hence all the manufactures now make ugly saloon cars out of good looking hatch backs. Eg: Honda fit Aria, Suzuki Swift Dezire, Ford Forcus, Mazda 2

A man is not a man without a big dicky!

Quixtar77 · August 3, 2011

Hi, See review by Autocar India. Diesel version is also available, not sure if A*W has them in stock.

Design & Engineering

The Dzire and Swift hatchback are identical upto the B-pillar. The only difference is the grille — the saloon gets two prominent chrome strips to differentiate it from its older and smaller cousin. However, there’s an awkwardness about the styling behind the B-pillar which suggests the saloon derivative was an afterthought, conceived after the hatchback was born. (In fact, it was.

The Dzire or three-box Swift is unique to India with no plans to make it anywhere else in the world.) The rear section looks disproportionately stretched, thanks mainly to the large rear doors and the sharply raked C-pillar which is at odds with the less angular A-pillar. While the peeled-back lights at the rear, another Swift styling cue, look good, the stubby boot with its ‘bustleback’ shape and complex rear-door shut lines simply add to the fussy styling. The chrome strip above the numberplate comes to the rescue and the reflectors and stop lamp integrated into the rear bumper make the rear look less heavy. The wheelbase remains unchanged but the overall length has increased considerably to 4160mm. Maruti must be kicking itself for not doing an ‘Indigo CS’ or restricting the length to 4 metres to qualify as a small car, which would bring a huge excise duty saving of 12 per cent.

Mechanically, the Swift hatch and Dzire are identical. The suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres are all shared; the only difference is that the spring rates are slightly stiffer at the rear to compensate for the additional 25kg increase in weight.

Interior

Like the Swift before it, the Dzire has a lot of firsts to its credit, like offering an integrated audio system with steering-mounted controls and a climate control system. There are lots of subtle changes to the interiors of the Dzire — the dials are chrome-ringed and the digits are white-backlit, which looks very cool and classy. It also scores an unexpected victory with dashboard plastics, the best in this group. The switchgear also feels the best to use. However, this has more to do with the competition being below par.

We’ve always complained about the claustrophobic feel of the Swift’s all-black interiors, so now the seats on the ZDi are beige and this brightens things up considerably. The front seats are very comfortable — there’s plenty of headroom and legroom and even six-footers won’t have a problem. The driver’s seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel adjusts for rake, making it easy to find a very comfortable driving position, whatever seat height you prefer.

However, there’s no real improvement in rear seat space. The wheelbase is the same as the Swift, so legroom and headroom remain the same, so do the small windows, unfortunately. The rear seat has different contours and the back rest is slightly more reclined for greater headroom, so comfort is slightly improved. Only shoulder support is lacking on a seat that otherwise impresses. The ZDi version comes with a centre armrest (another first in the segment) and full-size bottle-holders in the rear doorpads. Still the Dzire’s greatest weakness is its narrow rear seat, the least comfortable for seating three abreast.

The one discernible difference between the Dzire and the Swift hatch is that the saloon feels marginally more refined in the back seat. Though sound insulation material is the same, the boot shields the passengers from underbody vibrations and road noise to some extent. The Dzire puts out 75bhp of power.

This engine and gearbox combo is the same as on the Swift, down to the number of teeth on the gear cogs. It is refined and smooth. At cruising speeds, you’d be hard-pressed to tell that it’s a diesel motor under that stubby hood. Straight-line performance is sprightly. It takes 14.3 seconds to get to 100kph. There is a bit of throttle lag but once you get past 2000rpm, there’s a strong tug as the fixed-geometry turbocharger spins up. The Dzire manages to return 13.5kpl in the city and 18.9kpl on the highway.

The Dzire’s rides really well. The softer rear suspension is an indication that Maruti is targeting chauffeur-driven owners. At lower speeds, it rides quite well. There’s a nice rounded edge to the way it rides over lumpy tarmac and bumps are dispatched with relative ease under its tall 70-profile tyres. The flipside is that the ride isn’t as settled or composed as that of the Logan as speeds build.

Maruti has stiffened the front suspension of the diesel Swift to compensate for the extra weight of the heavier engine ahead. So, pitching over rough surfaces is limited and there’s none of that nose-heavy feel that is characteristic of a lot of diesels.

The compromise however is in the way the Dzire handles. It doesn’t feel as sharp as the Swift hatchback, the soft rear suspension making it feel a little loose and floaty, especially when changing direction. At higher speeds, it doesn’t feel plantedand crosswinds affect its stability. Thankfully, some good aspects remain — the brilliant steering, the progressive brakes and the good weight distribution means you can still have some fun behind the wheel.

Verdict

8/10

There are many ways to consider the Dzire. As a Swift with a boot, you get the added bonus of luggage space, but as a scaled-down SX4, the Dzire with its cramped interiors and lack of big-car feel may be slightly disappointing. However, it does come with a diesel option which the SX4 doesn’t offer. However, it is as a replacement for the Esteem that this car makes the most the sense. It offers the best of all worlds — the low-cost of ownership and reliability the Esteem was reputed for, the bucket-loads of appeal of its hatchback sibling and the status of a saloon. It’s this combination that makes the Dzire a winner.

Top 3 cars in this class

Specification

MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE

Length 4160 mm

Height 1530 mm

Wheel base 2390 mm

Width 1690mm

Rear interior width 1290mm

Ground clearance 170mm

ENGINE

Fuel Diesel

Type 1248 cc 4 cylinders

Installation Front, transverse

Bore/stroke 69.6/82mm

Compression ratio 17.6:1

Valve Gear 4 valves per cyl, DOHC

Power 75bhp at 4000rpm

Torque 19.3kgm at 2000rpm

Power to weight 67.26 bhp per tonne

TRANSMISSION

Gearbox Five-speed manual

CHASSIS & BODY

Weight 1115kg

Tyres 185/70 R14, tubeless

SUSPENSION

Front Independent, MacPherson strut with coil springs

Rear Non-independent, torsion beam, coil springs

STEERING

Type Rack and pinion

Type of power assist Electric assist

BRAKES

Front Ventilated disc

Rear Drums

WHAT IT COSTS

On-road price (Mumbai) Rs 7.71 lakh

Warranty 24 months/40,000km

RANGE AT A GLANCE

Price Rs 5.38-7.71 lakh

ENGINES

Petrol 1.3 litre

Diesel 1.3 litre

Performance

ACCELERATION

KPH

TIME(sec)

0-20 1.21

0-40 2.90

0-60 5.60

0-80 9.72

0-100 14.32

0-120 23.82

0-140 34.95

ACCELERATION IN GEAR

20-80kph (3rd gear)

13.24 s

40-100kph (4th gear) 17.81s

BRAKING

80-0KPH 27.63 m

ECONOMY

TEST

City 13.5kpl

Highway 18.9kpl

Tank size 43 litres

Brand new Rs.2.7 million

Saw this car in A*W . Would like to know details about this car. does any body own one.. then please share ya experience..

How is the ride ..

any issues

fuel consumption

cheers